After her mother's death and the end of her marriage, Cheryl Strayed impulsively decided to hike more than 1,000 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail, from the Mojave Desert through California and Oregon to Washington state — alone.

Overflowing with full-color photos and based on interviews with scientists, zoologists and animal caretakers from around the world, this celebration of love between species explores animal attachments of all types.

A Harvard-trained neurosurgeon shares a minute-by-minute account of his religiously transformative near-death experience and revealing weeklong coma. He describes his scientific study of near-death phenomena while explaining what he learned about the nature of human consciousness.

Susan Cain demonstrates how introverted people are misunderstood and undervalued in modern culture, charting the rise of extrovert ideology while sharing anecdotal examples of how to use introvert talents to adapt to various situations.

Susannah Cahalan was a healthy 24-year-old when she began to experience seizures, hallucinations and increasingly psychotic behavior. Her symptoms frightened family members and baffled a series of doctors until she was finally diagnosed with anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis, a rare autoimmune disease that can attack the brain. As one doctor put it, "her brain was on fire." Cahalan recounts her experience with the disease in Brain on Fire.

The National Book Award-winning author of The Noonday Demon explores the consequences of extreme personal differences between parents and children, describing his own experiences as a gay child of straight parents, and evaluating the circumstances of people affected by physical, developmental or cultural factors that divide families.

An annual release of America's oldest continuously published periodical shares weather predictions for the coming year while incorporating coverage of such engaging topics as how to hook six favorite angler fish, the truth about whole grains, and health practices for each zodiac sign.

Timothy Egan recounts the pioneering photographer Edward Curtis' life-risking effort to document the disappearing North American Indian nation, offering insight into the danger and resolve behind his venture, his elevation to an impassioned advocate and the posthumous discovery of his achievements.

David Byrne, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and co-founder of Talking Heads, presents a celebration of music as he knows it. He draws on his own experiences to explore everything from Balinese performance techniques to the acoustics of CBGB, deal structures and Celia Cruz — and, of course, the band that first made him famous.

Walter Isaacson delves into the computer visionary's personal life and professional legacy — from learning the art of good craftsmanship as a kid to becoming a notoriously demanding boss to fighting the cancer that eventually killed him.

How Children Succeed challenges conventional views about standardized testing to argue that success is more determined by self-discipline, character and optimism. Paul Tough describes the work of pioneering researchers and educators whose insights into childhood stress and economic disadvantages have enabled effective new teaching methods.

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